Liz Mullen, SportsBusiness Journal

Published on Oct. 8, 2012 | Updated on Oct. 15, 2012

Oct. 8, 2012

Don Meehan, founder of Newport Sports Management, said that before talks began for a new NHL collective-bargaining agreement this summer he was hopeful a deal could be reached, more hopeful than he was before the 2004-05 NHL lockout.

“I felt comfortable that, at the end of the day, this time would be more productive and there would be a better chance at a resolution than during the last labor issue,” said Meehan, whose agency represents more than one-sixth of the players in the NHL.

Asked how he feels now, Meehan laughed and said, “I’d rather not say.”

The NHL locked players out last month after talks with the NHL Players’ Association failed to reach a new agreement. Meehan and the seven agents who work at Mississauga, Ontario-based Newport represent 130 of the 740 players in the NHL, including stars Steven Stamkos, Drew Doughty, Zach Parise and Jarome Iginla.

Meehan said that, although he hoped for the best, he was ready for the worst in this labor negotiation. “It’s not something that anyone looks forward to, but I have been around long enough to prepare for things,” he said. “We are fine at the firm. If it’s a whole year, it’s a whole year.”

As of last week, about 100 NHL players had committed to play in Europe while the labor talks continued. Newport represents five of those players: Nashville’s Patric Hornqvist, who agreed to play for Swiss team Red Ice; Winnipeg’s Evander Kane (Dinamo Minsk, of the KHL); Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson (Jokerit in Finland); Montreal’s Alexei Emelin (Kazan of the KHL); and Montreal’s Raphael Diaz (Zug in Switzerland).

Meehan said that if the lockout were to drag on, more players might sign overseas. While he did not disclose financial details of the deals, he said that outside of deals with the KHL and some other exceptions, players generally are not making a lot of money by playing in Europe.

“I think the players are concerned,” Meehan said. “They want to remain fit and they want to be ready when there is a resolution.”